The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball program is the men's college basketball team of the University of Kentucky. With eight NCAA championships, the best all-time winning percentage, and the most all-time victories, Kentucky is considered one of the most prestigious programs in college basketball. The Wildcats compete in the Southeastern Conference and are currently coached by John Calipari.
Adolph Rupp first brought Kentucky to national prominence, winning four NCAA titles. Since then, Joe B. Hall, Rick Pitino, Tubby Smith, and John Calipari each won a national championship, making Kentucky the only school with five coaches to win NCAA championships and placing it second only to UCLA for most titles. Kentucky has finished as the NCAA runner-up four times, making it tied with UCLA for all-time title game appearances at 12. The program has played in 17 NCAA Final Fours, tying Duke for third-all time behind North Carolina and UCLA. Kentucky leads all schools in several NCAA tournament stats: Elite Eight appearances at 38, Sweet Sixteen appearances at 45, total NCAA tournament appearances at 60, and tournament games played at 184. The program is tied in NCAA tournament wins with North Carolina at 131. Kentucky has also won the National Invitation Tournament twice, making it the only school to win multiple NCAA and NIT championships, and it leads all schools in total postseason appearances at 68. Additionally, the Helms Athletic Foundation declared Kentucky the 1933 and 1954 national champions, the latter being Kentucky's only undefeated team in the modern era (post-1930). The 1948 NCAA champion team, coached by Rupp, represented the United States in the Olympics and won a gold medal.
Kentucky was the first program to 1000 wins in 1968 and the first to 2000 wins in 2009. The program leads all schools with sixty-three 20-win seasons, sixteen 30-win seasons, and six 35-win seasons. Additionally, Kentucky is second among all teams in conference regular season championships with 53.
Throughout its history, the Kentucky basketball program has featured many notable and successful players, both on the collegiate level and the professional level. Five players have been named national player of the year, with Anthony Davis in 2012 and Oscar Tshiebwe in 2022 being consensus selections. Two players have been named national freshman of the year: John Wall in 2010 and Davis in 2012. Thirty-nine players have been selected as All-Americans a total of 51 times. Kentucky holds the record for the most overall NBA Draft selections (128) and three Wildcats have been selected as the first overall pick (Wall, Davis, and Karl-Anthony Towns). Thirty-nine players have been honored with jersey retirements, as well as Rupp, Hall, Pitino, Smith, equipment manager Bill Keightly, and broadcaster Cawood Ledford. Seven players have been enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, as well as Rupp, Pitino, Calipari, Eddie Sutton, and Ledford.
The Wildcats have had 22 coaches in their 112-year history. John Calipari is the current coach. He signed a lifetime deal with them on April 1, 2019. He will make about $8 million per year. To date, 6 Wildcats coaches have won the National Coach-of-the-Year award: Adolph Rupp in 1950, 1954, 1959, 1966, and 1970, Joe B. Hall in 1978, Eddie Sutton in 1986, Rick Pitino in 1990 and 1992, Tubby Smith in 1998, 2003, and 2005, and John Calipari in 2012 and 2015. Additionally, 7 Wildcats coaches have been named Southeastern Conference Coach-of-the-Year: Adolph Rupp in 1964, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1972, Joe B. Hall in 1973, 1975, 1978 and 1983, Eddie Sutton in 1986, Rick Pitino in 1990, 1991 and 1996, Tubby Smith in 1998, 2003, and 2005, Billy Gillispie in 2008, and John Calipari in 2010, 2012, and 2015.
The Wonder Team: Despite coming off a losing season Coach Buchheit and Kentucky's first All-American Basil Hayden would help a complete turn around in the 1920–21 season. Kentucky finished the season 13–1 and tasted their first post season success by winning the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association conference title.
The Mauermen: Coach John Mauer took over the program prior to the 1927–28 season, building a team that would go by the Mauermen. These Mauermen became well known for being well rounded and team oriented as well as having sound fundamentals. By the time John Mauer left after the 1930–31 season, he had compiled a 40–14 record at Kentucky (.740). However, Kentucky could not break through in the postseason during Mauer's tenure, and thus, did not win any Southern Conference titles from 1928 to 1930.
The Fabulous Five: The 1947–48 team not only won the NCAA title, but provided the core of the United States 1948 Olympic team that won the gold medal in the London Games. A year later in the 1948–49 season, this nearly the same team would win back-to-back NCAA Championships, making Kentucky only the second team to repeat as NCAA Champions after Oklahoma A&M.
The 1951 Team: The 1950–51 team, under the guidance of players such as Cliff Hagan and Bill Spivey, Kentucky would gain a record of 32–2, and 14–0 in the SEC. They would then go on to win Kentucky its 3rd title in only four years.
The Undefeated Team: The 1953–54 team, which went 25–0 in the regular season and defeated LSU in a playoff to earn the Southeastern Conference bid to the NCAA tournament. However, several of the team's players had technically graduated during the 1952–53 season and were prohibited from tournament play the following year. Despite the wishes of the players, Rupp refused to allow the team to play in the tournament, thus leading to the team's reputation as one of the best teams ever to fail to win an NCAA title.
The Fiddlin' Five: The 1957–58 team was given its nickname by Rupp due to his perception that they tended to "fiddle" early in games. However, they would right their ship in time to give Rupp his 4th and last national title.
Rupp's Runts: The 1965–66 team, with no starter taller than 6'5", was arguably the most beloved in UK history. Despite its lack of size, it used devastating defensive pressure and a fast-paced offense to take a 27–1 record and top national ranking into the NCAA final against Texas Western. However, the Miners would deny Rupp another title. For more details on the game, see the articles for Rupp and the Miners' coach, Don Haskins. Future NBA coach and Hall-of Famer Pat Riley was a starter on this team. So was ABA and NBA star Louie Dampier. Both players were named All-Americans in 1966. Sportscaster Larry Conley was also a starter, along with Tom Kron and Thad Jaracz. All five starters were All-SEC selections in 1966.
The season without celebration: Going into the 1977–78 season, the Wildcats faced perhaps the most suffocating expectations of any UK team. As freshmen, that year's senior class lost in the 1975 final to UCLA in John Wooden's final game as the Bruins' head coach. The seniors had an outstanding supporting cast, and most Kentucky fans would have accepted nothing less than a national title. Despite its successful run to the title, the team was widely criticized, especially by its own fans, for being too serious and focused, giving rise to the "season without celebration" moniker. Much of the criticism was directed at Head Coach Joe B. Hall, who felt under tremendous pressure from fans and boosters to win Kentucky's 5th championship, and did not let up in his quest.
The Unforgettables: The 1991–92 team made up of mostly local players who had stayed behind after a scandal two years before is credited with reestablishing UK basketball in the 1990s. Despite a lack of a height they scrapped their way to a 29–7 record and SEC regular season and tournament championships. They played arguably the greatest college game ever played against Duke in the East Regional final 1991–92 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team
Mardi Gras Miracle: Although the 1993–94 season would be quite a disappointment in terms of the NCAA tournament (only non-probation year Pitino failed to take the Cats to at least the Elite Eight), this season is best known for the Wildcats' 31-point comeback at LSU. Down 68–37 with less than sixteen minutes left in the game, Kentucky outscored LSU 62–27 to win 99–95 in one of the greatest comebacks in NCAA basketball history.[citation needed]
The Untouchables: The 1995–96 team was arguably the most talented team in Kentucky basketball history, and quite possibly in NCAA history, with nine players who would eventually play in the NBA:
This team became the first SEC team in 40 years to go through SEC regular season undefeated. Kentucky would repeat this feat in the 2002–03, 2011–12, and 2014–2015 seasons. After losing in the SEC Tournament final against Mississippi State, Kentucky would make a dominating run to the Final Four. They avenged an early-season loss to UMass in the NCAA National semifinals, and then defeated Syracuse in the NCAA Championship game to win their 6th championship. Many of the players on this great Kentucky team returned the following season.
The Unbelievables: The 1996–97 team just missed repeating as NCAA Champions when they lost to Arizona in overtime in the NCAA Championship game. The nickname comes from the fact that early on in the season, very few UK fans (or the media) gave Kentucky much of a chance of repeating on the feats of the previous 1995–96 season. This nickname also gained in importance as the team only had 8 available players for the 1997 NCAA Tournament, which was largely due to injury, NBA draft picks, and transfers.
Demarcus "Boogie" CousinsThe Comeback Cats: The 1997–98 NCAA national champions. This was new head coach Tubby Smith's first year at Kentucky, and the team truly earned this nickname in their last three games. In the South Regional final against Duke, they gained some measure of payback for Kentucky's heartbreaking 1992 defeat to Duke, with UK coming back from a 17-point deficit with 9:38 remaining. In the national semifinal, they came back from a double-digit halftime deficit again, this time against Stanford. In the NCAA Finals against Utah, they became the first team to come back from a double-digit halftime deficit in an NCAA Finals Game. 1997–98 would be Kentucky's 7th championship.
The Draft Cats: The 2009–10 team just missed the Final Four when they lost to West Virginia in the Elite Eight. The name comes from the 2010 NBA draft when they set a record with five players being drafted from the same school in the first round. These players were:
The 8th Wonders The 2011–12 NCAA national champions, coached by head coach John Calipari, in his third year at Kentucky, earned this nickname due to their remarkable teamwork and overall quest for an NCAA Championship, and for being a team that started three freshman and two sophomores. For much of the season the team was ranked No. 1 in both the major polls, and also went undefeated in SEC regular season conference play (16–0). Kentucky stormed to the program's 8th NCAA tournament championship, winning their 6 NCAA Tournament games by an average of 10 points and never trailing in the second half. The team set an NCAA record with 38 wins in a season, and finished with a final ranking of No. 1 in both major polls. The team won Kentucky its 8th national championship with three one-and-done freshmen, and two sophomores that also declared for the NBA draft after the season. The team also set two new records for the NBA draft: the first time two players from the same school ever went as the first and second draft picks (No. 1 was Anthony Davis and No. 2 was Michael Kidd-Gilchrist), and the most players taken in a single two-round draft (six players):Current NBA star Anthony Davis played one year for the Kentucky Wildcats. Davis helped lead the team to victory in the 2012 NCAA Championship.
The Tweakables: This was the memorable 2013–14 team. After losing three of their last four regular season games the Wildcats were given little chance to accomplish much in the postseason. Prior to the SEC tournament, John Calipari announced that he had implemented a "tweak" to the team, which was later revealed to be encouraging Andrew Harrison to pass more. They defied their odds beating Louisiana State and Georgia to get to the finals for a rematch with the still top ranked Florida. Again defying odds they came one possession short of beating Florida. Despite this, Kentucky would receive an 8 seed in the Midwest, which included top seed and undefeated Wichita State, fourth seeded arch-rival and defending champion Louisville, second seeded Michigan, and third seeded Duke. Kentucky started their run by defeating Kansas State 56–49, setting them up with the Wichita State Shockers. In a shocking fashion Kentucky would defeat Wichita State by two points when Wichita missed its last shot (the second time in school history UK knocked off an undefeated team in the NCAA tournament; 1975 against Indiana was the other). Kentucky would then go on to beat instate rivals Louisville Cardinals in the Sweet Sixteen after Aaron Harrison hits a late three to put the Wildcats up 70–68 and hitting their last free throws to beat the defending champs. The next two games versus Michigan and Wisconsin would end in similar fashion with Aaron Harrison hitting late game threes to put the Wildcats in the Championship Game for the second time in three years. Marcus Lee would also have his break out game versus Michigan with four straight put-back dunks (and a total of ten points) and a block. Despite their run, they could not finish off Connecticut to win the title. This made them only the fifth 8 seed to make the Championship game. They are also one of the few teams that beat three out of the previous year's Final Four teams to get there (Wichita State, Louisville and Michigan).
The Wildcats had their streak of 1,047 consecutive non-exhibition games with at least one made three-point field goal end on March 15, 2018, in a 78–73 win over Davidson in the first round of the 2018 NCAA tournament. Three other schools (Vanderbilt, UNLV and Princeton) have longer such streaks, having made at least one three-point field goal in every non-exhibition game since the three-point field goal first came to the college game.
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